Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom

Origins

The Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom grew out of Tambralinga in the late 13th century, as the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat, called Ligor by Europeans, became a Thai-ruled Buddhist centre. Sukhothai inscriptions mention monks invited from Nakhon Si Thammarat to bring Sinhalese Theravada Buddhism north.

Rule and society

The kingdom ruled the southern peninsula and claimed tribute from Malay states, a role sometimes described in legend as the twelve naksat cities. The great stupa of Wat Phra Mahathat, rebuilt in Sinhalese style, made it a pilgrimage centre. From the 14th century it was a senior vassal and then a first-class province of Ayutthaya, ruled by appointed governors.

Decline and legacy

When Ayutthaya fell in 1767, the governor Chao Nakhon Nu declared himself independent. Taksin of the Thonburi Kingdom captured Nakhon Si Thammarat in 1769 and restored it to Siamese rule. It remains an important provincial city of southern Thailand.